


hooked

by jacojac



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: M/M, Violence, aged up cat killua / fisherman gon, also ridiculous, idk what this au even is, theyre 18, this is rly self indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-02-25 18:21:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2631638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacojac/pseuds/jacojac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killua is bored and becomes intrigued by an interesting new creature. He decides to investigate.<br/>Gon is staying in a cute little cabin in the woods for the summer so he can go fishing in peace, but somehow ends up in cat hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -killua's species is referred to as felidae (rly uncreative. but .)  
> -he ditched his family because he was bored and secretly didn't really like killing things for fun  
> -their little felidae family uses some of the basic human creations (including clothes, language, simple tools and stuff)  
> -most of the material things they have were looted from humans over the generations, and currently killua and the other zoldyck kids haven't been educated on the existence of humans (they just take the things they have for granted)  
> -gon isn't a hunter here . he is happy and peaceful and there is nothing bad  
> -this is my first fic so idk how it's gonna play out but we'll see  
> *added a bit more to the end so i could go into the 2nd chapter easier hjdkj

Killua was lazily strung out on a thick branch of a tall tree, batting at the leaves above him and knitting his eyebrows. Everything was incredibly boring and completely devoid of entertainment. He had thought that at least something interesting would be out here, but obviously he had been wrong.  
The crushingly calm atmosphere almost made him wish he was back with his family, hunting down hulking beasts and killing weird creatures. However, after lashing out at his mom and beating up his brother a couple weeks back in a fit of rage, he doubted they'd care much about him for a while. Which led him to his current situation, many, many miles away from home.  
Killua had never gone out this deep in the forest before; the lush mountain scape his family had set hold of was the only territory he'd known first hand. So all of this was new, but in a very boring sort of way. He had been hoping for some strange monsters to be romping around so he could beat them up, but no, there was only squirrel-rabbits and obnoxious bugs. Even those seemed to sense the blood thirsty aura that constantly dripped off of the felidae boy and kept their distance, scampering deep into bushes the second Killua was within a fifty foot radius. The greenery was really the only thing around that couldn't flee from Killua. He was seriously starting to wonder if there even WAS anything fun away from his family, as much as he disliked them, and- 

Killua's ears perked suddenly, his relaxed pose stiffening. A little whiles away, his sensitive hearing picked up the quiet crunch of leaves beneath feet. And it definitely didn’t sound like a squirrel-rabbit this time; no, it was bigger, most likely felidae sized. Now this was something that could be interesting. Killua got in to a crouch, peering out from his position in the tree, his ears glued towards the new sound. His heart was pounding in his chest, and for a split second he felt a strange, uncontrollable sort of excitement as he wondered what was coming.  
The sound got closer, and Killua found himself leaning further off his branch, his claws gripping at the wood and pressing into the soft bark. He had just recently turned eighteen, but never once in his life had he met another felidae outside of his family. As far as he was concerned, the forest was filled with weak creatures that only whimpered and cried at Killua's presence.  
And then he saw it.

The creature looked to be almost as big as Killua, and had the same sort of limbs and average features. It's hair was dark like Killuas' siblings hair, but it was shorter and spiked back. It was also lacking the ears, claws, tail.... basically everything that Killua had that was really cool.  
Killua noticed that it was clad in some sort of clothing that matched the surrounding greenery, and it carried a long, really thin stick. He wondered what the stick was for. There was also a large bag resting against it's back and a few more strange devices hanging from it's arms. Honestly, Killua had no idea what he even was looking at. It was something that appeared felidae, yet lacked the features that made felidae stand out against the other forest creatures. Suddenly, Killua wasn't entirely sure about what to do with this strange thing. He noticed right away that it was harmless. The forest life even seemed drawn to it, a stark contrast to how repulsed everything usually was at Killua's presence. 

Whatever it was, it continued to make its way through the woods, using light and careful steps. Killua couldn't help but be interested, watching as it progressed far enough to walk just under the tree Killua was perched in. He was certain that he was high enough up and motionless enough not to be noticed, and he wasn't. The felidae like thing continued walking, smiling, right under and past Killua. Killua twisted his head a bit to continue watching the creature as it carefully maneuvered past low hung tree branches. Something in Killua's chest felt a little strange; he was both confused and intrigued by whatever this was. It wasn't strong like a beast he'd want to fight, yet it wasn't weak like most of the other forest beings.  
Killua settled on silently following it by jumping from branch to branch high above the ground, his sharp eyes trained on the mysterious figure and a mischievous grin pulling at his lips.

_________________________________________________________________

Gon knew that something was watching him, since he had felt the heavy gaze trained on him for the last half an hour. Whatever it was, it seemed to be following him from above in the trees. It was silent and quick, and though Gon couldn't catch sight of it, he could sense the predatory aura leaking out of it.  
Gon took a deep breath and kept at his steady walking pace, knowing that the river was close by since he'd been hearing it's gushing water for quite a while. The branches above him continued to rustle.  
If this thing that was tracking him was truly set on attacking him, he figured it would have by now. Gon was used to running into the occasional strange occurrence; after all, the forest extended for countless miles into unknown land. No one knew exactly what was out there. Gon didn't mind it much though, since he usually just ended up befriending any strange new creatures he came across, and the fishing spots were too incredible to ignore.  
Pushing aside some low hanging vines, Gon paused to grin at the sudden sight of water before him. 

The river was only about eight meters wide, with a few flat rocks rippling it's steady flow. However, it's shore was wide, open, and perfect for sitting out and storing fish on. Gon knew the fish in this river were amazing, too; he'd come to this same spot multiple times in summers past.  
The anticipation of fishing momentarily took Gon's mind off of the mysterious thing tailing him as he hurried to the shore to set up his supplies, humming as he went.

_________________________________________________________________

Killua watched as the thing crouched by the water, setting it's weird stuff down and pulling off it's shoes. He couldn't get any closer since the tree line cut off a few meters before the river, but his keen eyesight helped him to collect enough details. 

He waited for something to happen. Something exciting that would make this little chase more worth while.  
The thing then grabbed the long thin stick, and Killua's tail twitched. He was highly interested in exactly what that was used for.  
It held the stick up.  
Killua held his breath.  
It then proceeded to whip some sort of tiny translucent rope that was attached to the stick into the water.  
Killua stared, motionless.  
….  
Nothing else happened. That was it. The creature just sat there, holding the weird stick thing and not moving at all.  
As time went on Killua felt his face burning at the scene playing out in front of him, his tail lashing against the tree he was perched in.  
Was that seriously it? That was all that was gonna happen? Was this whole thing a huge waste a time? Did he just-  
Suddenly, the creature at the river jerked, tugging at the stick and rocking back a bit. Killua trained his eyes on it again, grumpily deciding to stay around to see what was going on.  
The figure then pulled up on the stick, hard, the tiny translucent rope flinging out of the water, a large and colorful fish flipping violently at the end.  
What happened after that left Killua a little lost, and before he could even process what was happening, the fish was suddenly limp and resting next to the felidae-like creature on the ground.  
Then the previous process began all over again.  
Everything was silent aside from the soft flow of water and the low humming noise that the spiky haired thing had been producing for a while.  
Fed up with the boring display he was witnessing, Killua snapped off a nearby branch from the tree he was resting in.  
Gripping the twig tight in his clawed hand, he wound his arm back and chucked it as hard as he could towards the rocks near the water edge, hoping to at least startle the creature into reacting to Killua's presence.  
The stick went too far however, and flew straight into the rushing river waters, completely missing anywhere near the targets vicinity.  
Gritting his teeth, Killua snapped off another branch (bigger this time,) and aimed again, squinting his eyes and mentally mapping the trajectory, making sure that it would go where he wanted it to and-  
He accidentally let the stick go a bit too late, then passively watched as it flew towards the felidae-like creature, thwacking into the back of it's head with enough force to push it head first into the river.  
The splash that followed was loud, disrupting the calm atmosphere and setting the fur on Killua's tail on end.  
The green clad figure was dripping wet, slipping on it's hands and knees in the shallow water, frantically reaching out to grab it's weird stick thing before the river's current swept it away. 

Killua tried- and failed- to suppress a laugh as it bubbled up though his chest.  
The creature managed to nab it's fishing-stick, throwing it onto the shore behind it before continuing to try and find its bearings on the slippery river bottom.  
Killua was pleased with this outcome, and thoroughly enjoying the view.  
That was until the felidae-like creature whipped its head around, still in the water on its hands and knees, and stared out to the tree that Killua was residing in.  
Killua tensed up, biting his laughter off and freezing in place.  
“Would you just come out already?” The creature suddenly shouted to him, sounding both annoyed and exasperated, water dripping off of it's hair and face.  
Shocked at the sudden use of speech that Killua could understand (and the obvious acknowledgment of his presence), Killua found himself slowly sliding out of his tree and into view on solid ground, his heart beating hard in his chest and his eyes turned down.  
By the time he looked up, the green clad figure – now dripping wet and disheveled – was making it's way towards where Killua stood, it's face appearing stern and annoyed.  
Killua took a step back, holding his hands up to show he was harmless, but the creatures pace did not slow.  
Killua resorted to squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head away, lying his ears back, a strange feeling washing over him as his legs seemed to lock in place.  
The creature stomped up, stopping only about a foot away from where Killua stood.  
Then it was quiet again.  
When nothing else happened, Killua decided to reopen his eyes and actually take a better look at the thing he'd been stalking for half of the day, and was surprised at what he saw.  
It already had a softer expression on and was openly observing Killua's cat-like appearance, it's head tilted slightly to the side.  
“You look a lot like me,” it said quietly, squinting as the river water continued to drip down it's face.  
“Well, maybe not me specifically, but you look human,” it corrected after a moment.  
Killua's fur stood on end again, his eyes widening.  
“What? You're the one who looks like me!” He hissed, indignant.  
But whatever the case was, it was true. Killua stared at the other creatures face, every feature matching his own. However, it's looks seemed much softer, kind and open and warm compared to Killua's sharp and hard appearance.  
Killua felt his heart speed up a tad bit more when the creature's face broke into a bright smile, completely ignoring it's past annoyance.  
“So you can talk!” it chimed, “what's your name?”  
“O-of course I can talk,” Killua scoffed, glancing away.  
He paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and perching the other on his hip.  
“And my name's Killua,” he muttered.  
“Killua?” the creature mimicked, tilting it's head again.  
“Yeah.”  
“That's a cool name. I'm Gon.”  
 _Gon?_ The name sounded foreign and strange to Killua. Too short and weird to pronounce, but interesting none the less. He felt himself smiling a bit, despite his past uneasiness.  
 _Gon._


	2. fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon and Killua go fishing and Killua gets a little too attached

They did proper introductions and talked a bit while Gon wrung the excess water out of his jacket and attempted to shake his hair dry.  
Killua was intrigued the entire time by what was happening, and the fact that he was even _interacting_ with Gon.  
He hadn't planned on his temporary toy to talk to him and act like they were best friends right off the bat; heck, Killua had just knocked him head first into rushing water. If anything, Gon should have walked up and slapped him across the face.  
However, Gon seemed to ignore Killua's previously rude behavior and just went along smiling, asking Killua pointless questions and slyly sneaking glances at him.  
Admittedly, Killua was busy sizing Gon up as well, mentally comparing their appearances.  
Ignoring the obvious differences, the stark contrast between the two of them had Killua fascinated. Killua was tall and slim, his body angular and designed for stealth. Gon, on the other hand, was a bit shorter and probably a lot slower moving. He was decently muscled, around as much as Killua was, but he was rounded off in a way that made him look approachable and warm. That soft appearance was strangely captivating, and Killua could understand why all the other forest critters appeared to be drawn to Gon.  
“So why were you all the way out here?” Gon asked as he slung his discarded jacket over a nearby tree branch to dry.  
“No reason, really. Just bored,” Killua stated, still standing awkwardly in place as he watched Gon.  
“Bored, huh...” Gon wondered out loud. “Bored enough to follow me for forty minutes straight?” he mused, glancing back at Killua with a smirk.  
Killua felt his fur stand up again, his face heating.  
“H-how did you know?” he stammered, glaring at Gon. “You didn't seem to acknowledge me at all!”  
Gon laughed a bit, turning around to fully face Killua now. “You're not as quiet as you think you are,” he retorted.  
Killua grumbled and kicked at the ground, turning his head away from the other boy.  
When he glanced up again, he saw Gon starting to make his way back towards the river edge.  
“If you're really that bored, you should help me fish,” Gon called over his shoulder, motioning for Killua to follow him.  
Killua stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged.  
When Gon started walking again, Killua trailed quietly behind him.  
  
Killua knew that he should just leave. He had seen first hand how boring 'fishing' was, and really didn't feel like participating, however Gon managed to hold his interest.  
Killua still wanted learn more about Gon.  
He wanted to know what he was, why he was similar to Killua yet different in so many ways.  
Killua had met many other intelligent beasts and creatures who could communicate with him back by his home, some of them friendly and some of them terrible. A very select few of them he had visited again and made friends with, but they were always shallow relationships.  
Not a single one of those beasts had been as intriguing as Gon though, and none of them had accepted him without a word. 

_______________________________________________________

Killua sat cross legged next to Gon and did the best he could to wrangle all the fish Gon pulled up. A lot of the fish had spiny appendages that pricked Killua's hands and made him hiss, often forcing him to drop and or throw the fish back into the water. That didn't make Gon too happy.  
They switched places a few times, Gon allowing Killua to handle the fishing rod as Gon tied up bundles of fish for easy transportation. Killua found that there was a certain kind of exhilaration that came from a tug on the line, and he excitedly announced whenever it happened. Gon would smile and watch as Killua reeled the fish in, then help him remove it from the hook before the felidae boy tried to do it himself.  
They spent around four hours by the river side, laughing and talking every now and then. Killua found himself smiling at a lot of little things, like Gon pulling on the fishing rod too hard and smacking himself in the face, or Gon taking breaks from tying fish to entertain the brave little forest critters that came to watch the two boys.  
The entire time, Gon didn't ask Killua about anything that Killua didn't want to talk about. Gon didn't even question Killua's appearance, and he was fine with that.  
Killua found that in the short time he spent with Gon, he forgot all about his terrible family and his predicament involving them.  
And by the time the sun started to set, Killua realized that he didn't really want Gon to leave.  
While Gon was putting on and tying up his boots again, Killua was still sitting cross legged by the river, tentatively attempting to pet some of the small critters that had come to see Gon.  
He avoided watching the other boy.  
It wasn't long before Gon had collected all of his supplies, including his now-dry jacket, which he pulled on to fight off the cold that came with the sun's set.  
Grabbing the haul of fish the two had managed to pull up, Gon faced Killua again.  
“Thanks for helping me out,” he beamed down at Killua as he threw the catch over his shoulder.  
Killua stared at the ground, gently scratching some small furry beast under it's chin.  
“Yea, s'no problem,” he muttered back.  
Gon gave him a bemused look.  
“I'll be back tomorrow,” he said.  
Killua would be lying if he didn't say that those words made his heart skip. His ears perked up fast, and he glanced back at Gon again, just in time to see the other boy starting to laugh.  
For probably the millionth time that day, Killua could feel the blood rushing to his face. He quickly folded his ears back down and glanced off into the river.  
“I'm sorry, Killua,” Gon giggled, “I'm just happy that you had fun.”  
“W-who said I had fun?” Killua retorted indignantly, glaring hard at Gon. He thrust his hands up towards the other boy, wiggling his fingers. “Do you see how many puncture wounds I got from those fish? It wasn't fun at all!”  
Gon smirked at him as he began to turn back towards the woods.  
“Alright, whatever you say. By the way, your claws are really neat.”  
Then it was Killua's turn to grin, a smug look crossing his face as he flexed his fingers more, extending his claws further.  
Gon shook his head, still smiling, and began to walk towards the tree line. He threw up a hand and waved at Killua, and Killua instinctively waved as well, although Gon couldn't see since his back was already turned.  
Killua watched Gon push away tree branches and vines, tromping back the same way he came.  
Killua continued to stare until he could no longer see Gon's form or hear the snapping of branches beneath feet. A small part of him was obnoxiously yelling at him to chase the other boy, or maybe even just secretly follow him again.  
Killua stayed sitting though, the small furry beasts that previously surrounded him already dispersing since Gon's departure.  
Killua let out a deep sigh and decided to lay down, resting his back on the hard rock of the river's shore. He folded his hands behind his head and flicked his tail against the ground, looking up at the twilight sky.  
He stared until he began to see stars popping out, shining hard against their darkening backdrop.  
It wasn't long until Killua's tail laid still, his eyes slowly drooping shut as sleep took over his body. A small part of his brain was telling him to move to a better place before passing out, seeing as the rushing water of the river was only a couple feet away, but he ignored it.  
Instead, he let his thoughts wander to Gon's smile and teasingly kind words until he could no longer sense his body at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS REALLY SHORT IM SORRY also i dont know how fishing works but .yea  
> hopefully i can get to more detailed stuff later


	3. accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon's revenge doesn't go so well

Gon hiked back to the river the following day, a little late since he took time to pack some lunch. He made sure to grab a few extra snacks for Killua to try, in case the felidae boy decided to show up again.  
When the trees began thinning out and the rushing sounds of the river reached his ears, Gon smiled and picked up his pace, his fishing rod bouncing against his shoulder as he went.

Pushing aside the last few low hanging branches, Gon ducked out of the greenery and took a deep breath of misty air. Wispy fog still hugged the ground from early morning, and sun filtered low and hot across the flat riverside.  
It was quiet, most of the forest critters still drowsy and holed up in their nests elsewhere. Gon did enjoy their company, but the brief moment of calm that came during early afternoon was something that he appreciated. 

Gon adjusted his backpack as he carefully stepped towards the water's edge, avoiding the uneven rocks that were further away from the shore.  
It wasn't long before he looked up and noticed a figure splayed out on it's back near the river, arms and legs spread across the ground. When Gon focused his senses better, he could pick up the sound of small huffing snores, quiet against the river's tide.  
A smile played across Gon's lips as he took the scene in, pausing to appreciate the opportunity he was just handed. He took a deep breath and silenced his steps even further, walking only on his tiptoes. 

That figure was clearly Killua, even though the fog cast a slightly hazy mirage over him. Gon could make out his long tail, erratically flicking against the hard rock in small twitches. His mouth was slightly ajar, sharp teeth hanging out, their pearly surfaces catching the sunlight. He was breathing heavily but calmly, his arms outstretched with wrists facing up, his furthest hand nearly dipping into the river's water.  
As Gon got closer, he could see how calm Killua looked, his eye lids soft and his cheeks rosy. For a moment, Gon felt a pang of uncertainty as he considered what he was about to do; however, memories of yesterdays little 'swim' pulled him back to his mischievous mindset. 

Gon got right up to Killua's side with no problem, and he silently prided himself on his sneaking abilities.  
Couching down to his knees, Gon saw Killua's face scrunch up a bit, his nose twitching and his eyebrows pulling down, but the felidae boy remained otherwise still.  
Gon leaned his head closer to Killua's face, his breathing low and shallow. When he was mere inches away from the Killua's cat-like ears, he took a final deep breath and opened his mouth wide.  
 _“KIIILLUAAA!”_ Gon shouted as loud as he could, a sing-song tone tinting his words.  
The results were immediate; Killua's eyes shot open, his jaw dropped, and his soft snores cut off so fast that he nearly gagged. He stared up at Gon's face for less than half a second before he rolled off hard to the side, limbs flailing and fur on end.  
Gon fell back and covered his face with his arms as Killua fell straight into the river, flinging water out in every direction.  
Gon got pretty soaked, but he was laughing too hard to care.  
Killua, on the other hand, was a mess. He was scrambling, his arms and legs shaking from his poor nights sleep; they didn't offer much support on the slippery river's bottom. His hair hung down in his eyes, its voluminous fluff not well suited for water, and his ears were practically glued back against his head.

After a short while of watching, highly amused, Gon cut off his laughter with a satisfied smirk. He moved forward from his sitting position to reach his hand out to Killua, in both a peace offering and an aid, but he was not at all prepared what happened when he approached the river edge. 

___________________________________________________

Killua's mind and body were buzzing; his vision was blurry and his limbs felt like jello. His heart was racing and, admittedly, he was terrified. He immediately connected whatever was happening now to his family's ridiculous training regimens, his old learned instincts tainting any logical thoughts. All he could register was that he was in trouble, and the perpetrator was only a few feet away. 

Water clogged his ears and wet hair obscured his vision, cutting off half of his senses and sending his heart into a rapid panicked beat. His claws were scrapping against algae covered rocks, his usually powerful grip offering no traction.  
Water was everywhere, slowing down his movements, but there was nothing he could do.  
Finally, after a short time of wild scrambling, his feet managed to find a solid hold against an awkwardly angled rock. The second he got that, he bent his knees and _pushed_ , back claws scraping hard against the rock and he launched his soaked body out of the river.  
The impact with the aggressor came fast, as they had been right at the water edge.  
The two of them tumbled backwards, Killua slamming his claws into the others' chest.  
They slid backwards against the rocks, Killua's tail lashing. He willed his claws to extend further, sinking past clothes and dipping into flesh as he bore down on the enemy with all the strength his tired body could muster.

___________________________________________________

Gon felt the impact, but he was too shocked to react. He saw Killua's form lunging forward with arms and claws extended, aimed straight at his Gon's heart, but after that his vision nearly blacked out.  
His head was slammed back against solid rock, his backpack not doing much to cushion the fall. Stars danced across his eyes, and Killua's hulking, dripping body obscured his remaining line of sight.  
Gon clenched his teeth against the pain, wanting to yell but finding no oxygen in his lungs to do so.  
Killua's claws were sinking into Gon's chest, and when the two boys stopped sliding the felidae began steadily slashing at Gon's body, scratching his torso and tearing apart his tank-top. 

Gon was powerless to stop the attack, as he was still dazed from the impact against the rock shore. The pain was unbearable; it was stinging, hot and wet. Killua's claws sank into the same wounds over and over and left even larger gouges behind.  
When Gon tasted blood in the back of his throat, he really began to panic.  
Just at that moment, though, Killua took a pause to readjust his slippery body, pinning down Gon more efficiently. Gon used that time to fill his bruised lungs with air, the strain nearly knocking him unconscious.  
He managed it, however, and his fast thinking allowed him a single chance change what was happening.  
“KILLUA!” Gon yelled with his remaining breath, in a choked and desperate hurry.  
Killua already had his hands back at Gon's chest, ready to tear down again, but he jerkily paused at those words, his claws barely touching Gon's skin.  
That small halt gave Gon a rush of relief, and he had a feeling that everything was going to be fine.  
Accomplishing want he'd wanted to do, he allowed his body to rest.

___________________________________________________

Senses returned to Killua in a tidal wave. They came so fast that he lost his breath, gasping with sudden realization at what he was doing. His whole body shook as his eyes refocused, staring past his wet hair and down at the figure beneath him.  
He made out the tan skin, the soft features and the swept back hair.  
Gon. That was Gon. There was no mistaking it.  
If Killua had thought his heart was beating fast before, he was wrong. Now it was nearly leaping out of his chest, painful and hard and forcing him to take in what he had just done.  
“G-Gon?” Killua stuttered, retracting his hands. He saw Gon smile a bit, his eyes barely held open, before the boy's head lolled off to the side and consciousness left his body.  
Killua jumped up, moving as fast as his tired brain allowed him to. 

Gon's chest was covered in slashes, blood seeping out of the wounds. Luckily, Killua had still been highly out of it and he noticed that he didn't do nearly as much damage as he would have had he been fully prepared.  
But it was still bad. Gon was still out cold, probably from hitting his head against the rock shore, and Killua felt like he was going to throw up.  
This was Gon. This was the guy he'd just met _yesterday_ , someone that had stolen his interest after only a few short hours.  
Someone Killua was amazed that he cared so much about, so soon.  
It was no time to face the horrors of what he'd done, though. Killua moved fast; he stripped off what remained of Gon's shirt, gently slicing the thin material with one of his claws, his hands shaking.  
Killua then proceeded to pull his own shirt off, difficult since it was still glued to his skin with water. 

The felidae boy was overwhelmed. He'd only been given minimal training on how to take care of injuries, but he tried his best to apply what he knew.  
He used his wet shirt to soak up Gon's blood, pressing the cool material against the wounds to stop the bleeding. Luckily, only a few scratches went deep enough to produce a dangerous amount of blood. Killua figured that the worst injuries were internal, considering how hard they had landed.  
Killua felt helpless as he continued to apply pressure to Gon's chest, not wanting to press too hard since Gon still needed to breath. 

Around five minutes passed of Killua monitoring Gon's body, all the while trying hard to choke down weird little sobs. He held his shaking fingers against Gon's neck every now and then to make sure his pulse was still fine.  
A lot of small forest critters had started to gather now, slowly approaching Gon's fallen body with their ears laid back. Some of them were brave enough to hiss and lunge at Killua for injuring their friend, but Killua pushed them back with growls of his own, baring his teeth.  
They were all just waiting now, wondering what to do and hoping that everything would be fine.

Killua had his head hung down as he continued to apply pressure to Gon's wounds, when suddenly he heard a hoarse voice.  
“Killua?” Gon whispered, nearly choking again.  
Killua's head shot up as he locked eyes with Gon, who was slowly rolling his head back forward and opening his eyes, blinking hard and fast.  
“Gon!” Killua excitedly replied, tears suddenly stinging his eyes.  
Gon gave him a weak smile, his eyes opening wider as consciousness returned to his body. He tried to push himself up, but Killua gently coaxed him back down.  
“Don't move yet,” Killua said quickly, dabbing a little at Gon's wounds.  
Gon slowly nodded, understanding.  
The wounded boy glanced around, noticing all of the forest critters who were watching with concern. He smiled a little, happy that they cared. Then he redirected his fuzzy mind to Killua, glancing over at him again.  
Killua's eyebrows were knit, his teeth clenched and his eyes glazed over. He was staring hard at Gon's chest, and refused to look the other boy in the eyes, now that he was awake. 

It was easy to tell that Killua had never wanted this to happen. The regret was written plainly across his face, and Gon already forgave him.  
Admittedly, it had been a bad idea to shock a possibly dangerous being that Gon had only known for half a day into a river, all for petty revenge.  
“Killua,” Gon said again, getting the other boy's attention.  
Killua sheepishly looked to him, uncertain.  
“I think I can stand. I have... a lot of first aid back at the cabin,” Gon grunted, moving his arms to brace himself against the ground, “if we could just... get there.”  
Killua only nodded, still shaking. He took away his hands and shirt from Gon's chest, giving him room to sit up.  
Gon supported himself against his forearms, his teeth clenching at the stinging pain that came with moving.  
Killua was fast to react, gingerly placing his hands at Gon's shoulders as he helped the boy into a sitting position. Gon was breathing hard, a sheen of sweat covering his skin. Killua monitored him silently, his eyes darting across Gon's body, assuring that he wasn't in any additional pain. 

Gon could tell that Killua was restless. The felidae boy didn't really know where to put his hands, or what to do entirely to help. Gon wanted to assure him that he was doing fine, but he couldn't muster enough energy to use more words.  
When Gon tried to bend his legs to help him stand, however, Killua lost his composure.  
“C-can I just carry you?” Killua breathed, fast and jittery and obviously nervous. Gon stared at him, blinking owlishly and pausing his efforts.  
Killua glanced at Gon's face again, and despite the situation Killua found himself blushing.  
Gon gave him a weak smile, fighting a painful laugh that tried to bubble up through his injured chest.  
“Y-yeah. Sure. Why not,” Gon replied quietly, shaking his head. He began bending his legs slightly and holding his arms up to allow Killua an easy grab.  
Taking a deep breath, Killua leaned forward and reached one arm under Gon's knees, and another under his arms and across his back. Gon's backpack was slightly awkward, leaving Killua's arm trapped, but he decided to keep it there. The fishing rod, on the other had, had been flung out somewhere on the rocks and was too far gone to even think about.  
The felidae boy was acutely aware of everywhere he was touching Gon, but he ignored the small nervous thumping in his chest that came from it.  
Killua braced his feet and knees, pulling hard on Gon's body as he lifted him up.  
It was awkward at first, and left Gon gasping and holding onto Killua's shoulder, but they managed. 

Killua was a little unsteady on his feet, nearly tumbling as he tried to find his balance, but he was set on doing this right and willed himself to not mess up any further.  
After about a minute of nervous squirming, Gon seemed situated and comfortable enough in the other boys' arms. Killua took note of the blood dribbling out of Gon's wounds again, the sight forcing his body into action.  
“Just tell me where to go,” Killua said quickly, already taking steps towards the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this wasnt really supposed to happen but u know what. thats ok


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> killua is ridiculous

The trip went a lot quicker with Killua's fast steps, even with the addition of Gon's weight.  
Killua maneuvered the route silently, listening carefully to the instructions that Gon was huffing out, his ears trained on the other boy's voice.  
The ground was a bit uneven at times, with bumpy rocks and sharp fallen debris littering it's surface. Killua could feel the stress on his feet every time he made a misstep and had to correct himself. He was too used to getting around by tree top, a method that was mostly predictable as long as you could see your landing.  
He grit his teeth as he stepped hard on another hidden rock, and knew that his inexperience (and the fact that he was barefoot) was gonna make him miserable later.  
“We're almost there,” Gon piped up suddenly, readjusting his position in Killua's arms.  
Killua gripped him tighter, wishing that he would just stay still. His wounds didn't seem to be losing nearly as much blood as before, but it never hurt to be cautious.  
Turning a final sharp corner, Killua's eyes widened as he was took in the structure that came into view. 

Killua had grown up in an elegant sort of building, covered with careful architectural details and slopping roofs. It was dark hued with wrought iron practically laced around its exterior, and cavernous rooms and daunting ceilings occupying it's insides. Obviously it had been up-kept for many generations, polished to a shine and cleaned out almost monthly. Killua had never questioned his home; he simply knew that it existed and that was good enough. 

But this- honestly, this beat all of that. 

The cabin was a decent size, small enough to be cozy but big enough to give space.  
It had little square windows, a gently angled roof, overgrown flowers creeping up it's sides... and it was entirely built out of soft, maple colored wood.  
It looked warm and open, everything about it inviting.  
Killua had to bite his tongue at the laugh that threatened to emerge from his chest as he mentally compared the two homes.  
There wasn't much time for the felidae boy to marvel at the sturdy architecture, however, since Gon was still heavy in his arms and proper care was only a few short steps away. 

Killua carefully moved around the colorful greenery surrounding the house so that he could get to the (most likely) front door. The entrance only had a slab of cool concrete laid in front of it, and as soon as Killua was on the shallow gray platform Gon pushed himself out of Killua's grip, startling the felidae boy.  
Gon landed on the concrete square next to Killua, catching himself against the cabin. Killua tentatively reached out to try and support him, but Gon waved him away as he reached into the back pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small brass key.  
Gon's breathing was still a little heavy, and Killua kept his eyes carefully trained on him as he fumbled with the lock on the wooden door.  
It took a minute of Gon yanking at the doorknob and jiggling the key around before anything happened, and Killua's ears perked forward when he heard the soft click of the lock finally turning.  
Gon threw the door open, then sluggishly motioned for Killua to follow him inside. Killua took a deep breath and tentatively walked in after Gon, his eyes darting as he took in the interior. 

The cabin opened up into a short hallway with a wooden floor, a worn rug draped across the planks. Almost Immediately off to the left was the entrance to a small, homey kitchen filled with pots and pans and slightly dirty tableware. To the right, Killua observed a cramped looking room with a huge rectangular table that had benches reaching down either side of it. Even though the fit was tight, it looked big enough to seat nearly 20 people. It didn't feel like there was anyone else in the cabin with them, though. Killua threw a questioning look at Gon's back as they continued walking, but he decided to keep his inquiries to himself for the time being.  
The short hall then opened up into the center of the cabin; a huge, cozy living room. There was a stone fireplace in the back, plenty of miss-matched couches and chairs, cheesy decorations and pictures hanging all along the walls. Killua curiously stared at the photographs, his eyes widening at the colorful hues in each picture. He'd had experiences with cameras before; except the ones that he knew were huge and clunky and took boring black and white snapshots. 

After his momentary distraction, Killua returned his attention to Gon, who was basically collapsing onto the nearest couch he could reach.  
Killua quickly caught up with him, watching as the boy shifted into a comfortable position on the overstuffed couch, his face scrunching up with pain as he moved.  
When Gon finally calmed down and allowed his tired body to lay still again, Killua took a seat in the chair nearest where Gon was. It was a large red recliner that startled the felidae boy the second he sat down, not expecting the chair to rock backwards. 

______________________________________________________

 

As Killua was trying to figure out why his seat was moving, Gon kicked his feet out on the couch and put a hand to his head, massaging his temples. He had never expected to be bringing a magical beast into his cabin today, let alone nearly be mauled by one. Killua seemed much more human than monster, but the whole situation was still pretty overwhelming.  
Gon's mind was still fuzzy and his body ached like hell, but at least he was somewhat comfortable now. Killua seemed heavily distracted by his chair, gently rocking it to see how it moved and trying hard to hide his fascination. Gon watched him with a small smile from the edge of his vision, until the felidae boy suddenly stopped and snapped his attention back to Gon.  
“You still need help, right? You said there was first aid here? I can try and find it,” Killua insisted, already leaping off of his chair and preparing to scour the cabin. 

Gon kept the smile on his lips and let his eyes close as he instructed Killua on the location of the medical supplies, and Killua held still and listened carefully to every word. 

As soon as Gon was finished, he heard Killua's light steps leave towards the kitchen to track down the cabinet Gon had just told him about.  
Sounds of cupboard doors opening and closing echoed through the cabin, along with the occasional clattering of glasses or pans. 

A couple minutes went by, then a few. 

Gon tried to ignore it, hoping that Killua could manage on his own since Gon's voice really wasn't up to yelling any additional instructions. 

 

______________________________________________________

 

Killua tried hard to follow what Gon had said to do; he really did. However, the kitchen was a mess, and to make it even worse, almost every other thing Killua saw made him intrigued.  
He found himself pawing at strange looking machine knobs and rifling through arrays of mysterious wooden and metal tools, his curiosity stealing his attention.  
He was familiar with plates and forks and knifes and simple things, but when it came to his family, they had always just gone out and taken down raw meat to eat. Simple and easy. Killua had heard about cooking and baking, but he'd never really lingered on exactly what it all meant. Now here he was, surrounded by strange wire contraptions and bags full of interesting substances, and he couldn't help but wish he had read up on them more. 

“Killua? Are you alright?” Gon's voice came suddenly, causing Killua to freeze mid investigation and bring him back to his original goal.  
“I-I'm fine, yeah,” Killua replied quickly, biting his lip.  
Gon didn't reply again, and the silence reminded Killua that Gon was still seriously hurt and counting on care. 

Killua found the correct cupboard quickly, located on the far left of the kitchen. He was fast to push aside an eclectic collection of cups and mugs to reach what he needed, clutching the supplies in his clawed fist before dashing back to the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to get up and that it was mostly just .... description....  
> now that i have what i needed goin tho it'll be easier to write so hopefully i can update more regularly!!


End file.
